KABUL - The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) said that plans were in the works to register Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan to vote in the spring elections.
The logistics of registering the refugees and then facilitating their voting process remain unset, according to IEC officials. But they have estimated the entire effort would cost around 50 million USD when all is said and done.
"The IEC intends to establish voting booths for the Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan, but we are still working on this plan," said IEC Secretariat head Ziaulhaq Amarkhail. He indicated the IEC did not have the funds necessary to carry out the scheme, and would need financial assistance.
Iran and Pakistan, Afghanistan's neighbors to the east and west, are home to millions of Afghan refugees who have fled violence and persecution in their home country over the years. Despite documentation issues, Iran is estimated to have just over a million Afghan refugees and Pakistan over two million.
The Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed support for the IEC's plans and said they would do what they could to help the Afghan government facilitate the upcoming elections.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan were excited about the prospect of being able to participate in the spring for what has been presented as a pivotal vote that could determine whether Afghanistan sinks or swims after coalition troops withdraw at the end of 2014.
"We are really happy that we will cast votes in the upcoming elections," said Ahmadullah, an Afghan refugee in Peshawar.
"It is our legal right that the IEC intends to grant us," another refugee named Shafiq said.
Voter registration issues have been a top concern for election officials, who fear security threats could cause a low turnout. A number of districts throughout the country remain inaccessible to the IEC, preventing local residents from being able to receive voter cards.
Give the IEC's recent announcement regarding refugees in Iran and Pakistan, it could prove easier for Afghans abroad to cast ballots in the spring than for some inside the country. (Tolo News)